Indians don’t need a visa for Nepal, but every adult needs a valid Indian passport or an original Voter ID card. Aadhaar is not accepted for flights. A first trip usually covers Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan in 6 nights. Pilgrims often go for Pashupatinath and Muktinath instead, which takes about the same time because of the mountain flights. You can fly to Kathmandu from Delhi, Mumbai and other Indian cities, or come by road through Sunauli or Raxaul. We book the hotels, the domestic flights and a car with a driver, and check everyone’s documents before you leave.
Nepal packages at a glance
| Package | Nights | What it covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan | 6N / 7D | Kathmandu temples and Durbar Squares, Pokhara’s lake and Sarangkot, a jungle safari in Chitwan | Families, couples, first-timers |
| Pashupatinath and Muktinath yatra | 6N / 7D | Pashupatinath darshan, flights to Pokhara and Jomsom, jeep to Muktinath | Pilgrims, including seniors who are fit for altitude |
| Kathmandu and Pokhara | 4N / 5D | The two cities, without the drive to Chitwan | A short first visit |
| Janakpur add-on | +2N | The Janaki Mandir in Janakpur, Sita’s birthplace in tradition, by road or a short flight from Kathmandu | Families on a Ram–Sita pilgrimage |
The full day-wise plan for Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan 6N/7D is on its own page. The other formats are built from it, adding or dropping days, and any of them can be changed to suit you.
ID rules for Indians travelling to Nepal
No visa, no fee, but a strict ID rule. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu lists only two documents for Indians flying between India and Nepal:
- a valid Indian passport, or
- an original Voter ID card with photo, issued by the Election Commission of India.
The embassy says Aadhaar, PAN card, driving licence and embassy registration are not accepted, and a downloaded or printed e-Voter ID won’t do either. From 5 November 2026, India’s Home Ministry also made it compulsory for Indians going to or coming back from Nepal, by land or air, to show a listed ID at Indian immigration. If you are flying from Nepal to a third country, such as Kathmandu to Dubai, you need a passport.
Good to know: If someone loses their ID in Nepal, the embassy can issue an Emergency Travel ID valid for a single trip home, but it costs NRs 7,300 and takes time. For children, tell us their ages when you book and we’ll confirm what the airline will accept; a passport is the safest choice.
Using Indian rupees in Nepal
Indian rupees are widely taken, especially near the border and in tourist areas, and you’ll also get Nepali rupees in change. After a long ban, Nepal Rastra Bank now allows ₹200 and ₹500 notes again, as long as they were issued on or after 9 November 2016. The limit is ₹25,000 per person. Old ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes are still banned. Pay larger bills by card, and keep some ₹100 notes for small shops and taxis.
What the usual trip covers
- Kathmandu. Pashupatinath on the Bagmati, open from 4 am to 9 pm. Hindus can enter the main temple; others can see the ghats, shrines and the evening aarti from across the river. Then the great white stupa of Boudhanath, Swayambhunath on its hill, and the Durbar Squares of Kathmandu, Patan or Bhaktapur.
- Pokhara. Boating on Phewa lake, sunrise over the Annapurnas from Sarangkot, Davis Falls and the Gupteshwor cave next to it. Pokhara is the most relaxed stop on the trip.
- Chitwan. A national park in the lowlands, known for one-horned rhinos. Jeep safaris and canoe trips start from Sauraha. Indians pay the lower SAARC entry rate at the park gate.
- Muktinath. A Vishnu temple sacred to Hindus and Buddhists, at around 3,750 m in Mustang. Reached by a short flight from Pokhara to Jomsom and then a jeep, or by a long road from Pokhara.
- Janakpur. In the plains near the Bihar border, with the Janaki Mandir. It pairs well with Sitamarhi on the Indian side.
If you’re interested in Lumbini, the Buddha’s birthplace, it sits on our Buddhist Circuit tour just across the Sunauli border. Private Kailash yatras also go through Nepal, via Nepalgunj and Simikot or overland from Kathmandu; see our Kailash Mansarovar Yatra page.
Getting to Nepal from India
Fly if you’re coming from Mumbai or Pune. Go by road if you’re already in eastern Uttar Pradesh or Bihar.
By air: Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan airport has direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai and a few other Indian cities on Air India, IndiGo and Nepal Airlines. Delhi to Kathmandu is about an hour and a half. Inside Nepal, Kathmandu to Pokhara is a short hop, and the drive is a full day.
By road: the two main crossings are Sunauli (into Bhairahawa), the nearest to Gorakhpur and Lumbini, and Raxaul (into Birgunj), reached from Bihar. Both are busy commercial crossings with long truck queues. From either side it’s most of a day’s drive on to Kathmandu or Pokhara, so most families only use them as part of a pilgrimage that takes in Lumbini or Janakpur.
Best time to go
October and November are the best months: clear skies, the Himalaya on view from Pokhara, and Dashain and Tihar in the streets. March and April are good too, with warmer days and some haze. Chitwan is best from October to March, before the plains get very hot. June to September is the monsoon. Pokhara is wet, mountain flights get cancelled, and the Muktinath road is prone to landslides, so we don’t recommend the pilgrimage in those months. Maha Shivaratri, in February or March, brings huge crowds of sadhus and pilgrims to Pashupatinath; wonderful to see, but not for anyone who dislikes crowds.
Notes for senior citizens
- Muktinath is high. Spend a night at Jomsom (around 2,700 m) first, walk slowly at the temple, and see a doctor before booking if you have heart or lung problems. Ponies and porters are available from the jeep stop.
- Jomsom flights only operate in the early morning because of wind, and they get cancelled. Always keep a spare day.
- Pashupatinath has steps down to the ghats and uneven paving. Wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off.
- Kathmandu’s traffic and dust are hard on people with asthma. Carry masks and inhalers.
Questions people ask before booking
Can I fly to Nepal with my Aadhaar card?
No. For air travel the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu accepts only a valid passport or an original Voter ID. Carry the same document for road crossings too.
Do we need permits for Muktinath?
Muktinath lies inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, so a conservation area permit is needed. We get it for you in Kathmandu or Pokhara; bring passport-size photos and a copy of your ID.
Will we see rhinos in Chitwan?
Your chances are good on a morning jeep safari, especially in the drier months when the grass has been cut. Tigers are another matter: they live there, but few visitors see one.
Can we use UPI or Indian debit cards?
Cards work in hotels and larger shops in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Carry enough rupee cash, within the ₹25,000 limit, for small temples, taxis and markets.
Before you pack, read the Indian Embassy’s page on valid travel documents for Nepal.
Checked November 2026. ID rules and the Emergency Travel ID fee are from the Embassy of India in Kathmandu, and the 5 November 2026 Home Ministry order from news reports of the gazette notice. The currency rule is from Nepal Rastra Bank’s July 2026 notice as reported in the press. Pashupatinath timings and entry rules are from the Pashupati Area Development Trust, Muktinath altitudes and flight advice from muktinath.org, and Chitwan fees from the national park. Flight routes change by season. We confirm documents and permits when we send your quote.